Parks for Science, Science for Parks: UC Field Station at Point Reyes National Seashore
Parks for Science, Science for Parks: UC Field Station at Point Reyes National Seashore
- Registration fee: $25 (lunch included)
- Details: Wear shoes suitable for walking outdoors on the beach. Dress in layers. Bring rain gear, water, hat, and sunscreen as appropriate.
- Organizer: Kathleen Wong, UC Natural Reserve System
- Sponsored by: UC Natural Reserve System
Pacific coastline, Pt. Reyes National Seashore.
NOTE: Start and end times given for field trips are the times when the trips depart from and return to the Marriott Marquis San Francisco.
From crashing ocean breakers and expansive sand beaches to grasslands and forested ridges, Point Reyes National Seashore encompasses some of the best nature has to offer in northern California. Its 100 square miles of coastal lands include working ranches and a historic lighthouse. The park is a locus for field research into subjects such as wetland restoration, wildlife management, rare plant ecology, and much more. Point Reyes Field Station, administered by UC Berkeley and part of the 39-reserve UC Natural Reserve System, offers classroom space, a laboratory, and accommodations for students and researchers working at the seashore. Seize the opportunity to meet park researchers, learn about the field station, spot tule elk, and dip a toe in the chilly Pacific Ocean.
Drakes Bay, Pt. Reyes National Seashore.
Attendees will arrive at the visitor’s center and browse exhibits on climate, restoration ecology, geology and migration, then drive to various spots within the park. These include Giacomini Wetlands for a discussion of wetland restoration, land use challenges and water quality; bishop pine forest for a discussion of UC research on disease, fire, and fungi; and a herd of tule elk for a discussion of species reintroductions and land use issues. Following lunch on the beach and a discussion of sea level rise, climate change, marine protected areas, California fisheries, and ocean acidification research, attendees will have time to explore and snap photos before boarding buses for San Francisco.
Above: Tule elk at Pt. Reyes National Seashore.